TJB Hall of Fame: Dennis Byrd

Football is a beautiful, but brutal game in which 22 of the strongest, fastest and most finely tuned athletes on the planet grind each other to dust for 60 minutes, 16 times a year. In the NFL, strength is a precious commodity to acquire and something that every team strives to gain leaving little time for reflection or "what if" scenarios about pain, injuries and mortality.

During a rough 1992 season in which Jets fans already said a tearful goodbye to Al Toon, Dennis Byrd began a journey that would show some of the toughest men in the world what real strength was and for that reason is why Dennis Byrd is being inducted into the TJB Hall of Fame.

On November 29, in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Meadowlands, Byrd rushed in an attempt to sack Chiefs QB Dave Krieg, but Krieg stepped up to avoid the tackle, and Byrd collided with fellow Jets teammate Scott Mersereau who was coming for the sack on the opposite side. Byrd ducked his head at the last moment before he collided with Mersereau's chest. The head-first collision resulted in a broken vertebra and left Byrd paralyzed.

"The hit was deafaning," remembered Byrd. "I remember the feeling of slowly falling to the ground ... I tried to take my helmet off, to unsnap the snaps with my hand, and it ... it just wouldn't work right ... At that point, I began to realize that there wasn't any feeling."

Even though there was no feeling, after some experimental drugs to reduce swelling, an exhaustive seven hour surgery and intensive physical therapy, Byrd walked just ten weeks later to announce that he was going home during a press conference at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York -- it was a modern day miracle.

But Byrd's strength during the worst times came from somewhere else, somewhere beyond his large 270 pound frame. As he lay in his hospital bed at Lenox Hill waiting for a surgery to remove pieces of broken bone from his spine, Byrd and his wife Angela sent word via Jet kicker and friend Cary Blanchard to the press contingent. "Tell [the press] Dennis says he's glad God chose him for this, because he has the strength to handle it, and tell them I'm glad God chose me as Dennis's partner." In the face of enormous doubt Blanchard dutifully relayed the Byrds' hopeful message to the waiting press through his own tears.

But it wasn't the injury that formed this amazing character in Dennis, he had it long before November 29, 1992. Dennis Byrd was one of the busiest players in the NFL in terms of volunteering his time and donating to charities, often lending help to any worthy cause that would ask. There are countless stories of Dennis outbidding himself to raise money for charities, spending time with the children of fallen police officers, even being 45 minutes late to training camp meetings because he was determined to sign autographs for every kid who wanted one. In other words, while with the Jets and even today, Dennis Byrd gives all he has for those around him and especially to those less fortunate than himself.

Where does courage, compassion and care for others like that come from? Those are rare gifts indeed. For Dennis, it's clear it comes from his faith. It's this source of strength that Dennis has which puts to shame how many times an athlete can lift a 225 pound bar or how many times he tackles a quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.

I was at the game -- my first Jets game ever -- with my father and godfather and I remember sitting there, wondering what was happening. No one knew anything, and the longer we waited the more the audience got nervous. There were players on the field praying ... there were even people in the stands started doing the same. Those moments were teachable for me. Although I was just a teenager, I saw how precious life is and following his recovery, I learned more about Dennis' inner strength and knew that was something I admired and wanted. If Dennis was to know that, I'm guessing that he'd say that if his story was inspiration to me, then it made all his trials worth it.

Jets-49ers Week 14 Game Preview

SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano feels the Jets need to keep Bryce Petty under control and let Matt Forte lead the attack against the 49ers.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.TV:

THE GAME: The Jets (3-9) at the San Francisco 49ers (1-11) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4:05 p.m. ET.

THE WEATHER: After a few days of rain in the bay area -- which should do wonders for the generally bad field there -- it looks like things will be dry on game day. But it'll be cloudy with temperatures in the upper 50s or maybe around 60 with light winds.

WHAT IT MEANS: Yawn. … Oh, sorry, what was the question? Right, the meaning of this game. Well, it's mostly about draft order, I guess. Currently, the 49ers are picking second and the Jets are picking fourth or fifth. A win and the Jets put themselves in danger of slipping closer to the bottom of the Top 10. A loss, though, and they've got some potential for a Top 3 pick if things break right. Or wrong. Whatever. Also, I suppose this game has meaning if you're on the Todd Bowles Watch.

FNNY presented by Jeep: Common for NFL players to not remember games?

12:20AM

The FNNY panel touches on the report that Brandon Marshall told the Daily News he doesn't remember scoring three touchdowns in a 2014 game.

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GEICO SportsNite: Jets place Nick Mangold on season-ending IR

12:06AM

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GEICO SportsNite: Mangold to IR00:01:25

Willie Colon comments on Nick Mangold's career after the Jets placed him on injured reserve.

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Wilkerson says 'tighter coverage' would have led to more sacks

Dec 8 | 7:30PM

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New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) celebrates a sack with teammates during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) (Peter Morgan/AP)

Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson responded "maybe a little tighter coverage and we get those sacks" when asked why New York was held to one sack in their 41-10 loss to the Colts Monday.

Fitzpatrick to serve as backup QB behind Petty

Dec 6 | 4:55PM

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will serve as New York's backup quarterback for the remainder of the season, while rookie QB Christian Hackenberg will not play unless starting QB Bryce Petty suffers an injury, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Tuesday.

Bowles named Petty the starting quarterback following Monday night's embarrassing 41-10 loss to the Colts, relegating Fitzpatrick to the backup role.

When asked if the rookie quarterback would see any playing time this season, Bowles was quick to say only an injury would lead to Hackenberg taking the field.

TJB Post Game Podcast: Bryce Petty and the Heartbreakers

Dec 6 | 3:59PM

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The Jets are free fallin, while Corey Griffin and Brian Bassett have their green hearts broken and are at a loss for answers. But they do find your voicemails…and talk about Bryce Petty, Todd Bowles, an uncertain future, and a nifty play by the pylon.

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Jets waive C.J. Spiller and Jeremy Ross

Dec 6 | 3:10PM

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New York Jets receiver Jeremy Ross (10) returns a kick-off against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. (Charles LeClaire)

New York also announced the signing of WR Darius Jennings to the practice squad, who will take the place of WR Mario Alford, who has been released.

Spiller signed with the Jets on Nov. 2 after playing two games for Seattle. Spiller appeared in four games with the Jets, returning five kickoffs for an average of 19.1 yards per return, along with recording three rushes and one reception on offense.

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BGA: Insight and analysis from Week 13

By Bent | Dec 6 | 12:15PM

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(Ed Mulholland)

The Jets were crushed by the Colts, 41-10, on Monday night at MetLife Stadium as they fell to 3-9 on the season. Bryce Petty replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick during the game and will be the starter for the remainder of the season. Here's insight and analysis regarding the Jets' awful Monday night performance...

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance speaks for itself. He only completed one pass beyond the first down marker, had a completion percentage below 50 percent, and punctuated his performance with an interception on the kind of forced throw he's been unable to get away with all season.

Bowles names Petty starting quarterback for remainder of season

Dec 6 | 12:08AM

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles named Bryce Petty the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, barring injury, after he replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick midway through Monday's 41-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Bowles said he planned to name Petty the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the year regardless of what happened Monday, adding that Fitzpatrick's ineffectiveness -- 5-for-12, 81 yards, no touchdowns and one interception -- in the loss to the Colts did not factor into the decision.

Petty completed 11 of 25 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions as he replaced Fitzpatrick for the second half, entering a 31-3 game.

Dec 5 | 11:46PM

Andrew Luck was nearly perfect in his return from a concussion, throwing for four touchdowns, three to Dwayne Allen, in the Indianapolis Colts' 41-10 romp Monday night past the inept New York Jets.

Not that Luck had to work very hard against the hosts, who were booed by a much-less-than-filled MetLife Stadium almost from the outset.

Luck missed last week's loss to Pittsburgh, cleared the NFL's concussion protocol on the weekend, and came back in style with a prime-time performance. He lifted Indianapolis (6-6) into a tie for the lead in the AFC South with Tennessee and Houston.

A witness said an argument took place between McKnight and the shooter before the shooter opened fire multiple times.

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What did you think about the Jets' game?

Dec 5 | 11:15PM

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We want to hear from you! What did you think of today's Jets game?

Record a reaction or question about the game, which may be used during TheJetsBlog Post Game Podcast, call 1 (831) 769-6387 or use this to record a message (please remember to leave your name and city):

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles benched starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in favor of backup Bryce Petty for the second half of Monday's game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium.

Fitzpatrick completed 5 of 12 passes for 81 yards with an interception and a 30.2 passer rating as the Jets trailed 24-3 at halftime.

Petty is making his first game appearance since Week 10, a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in which he went 19-for-32 with 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Jets honor Joe McKnight with pregame moment of silence

Dec 6 | 7:16AM

New York Jets running back Joe McKnight walks back to the locker room following practice at SUNY Cortland. (Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE)

The New York Jets have held a moment of silence before their game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium to honor former running back Joe McKnight, killed last Thursday in Louisiana.

Authorities said McKnight, 28, was shot during a road rage incident that was possibly sparked by a driver cutting off another on a nearby bridge in Terrytown, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The shooter was identified by police as Ronald Gasser, 54, and he was released overnight, drawing criticism.

McKnight was rated the nation's No. 1 running back recruit when he came out of Louisiana in 2006 and signed with the University of Southern California. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Jets in 2010 and played three seasons for New York. He spent a season with Kansas City, and most recently played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Petty started against the Rams in Week 10 when Ryan Fitzpatrick was out with an injury, and completed 19 of 32 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It was the first, and so far the only, start of his career.

While some have questioned why Todd Bowles has not given the young quarterback more opportunities to prove himself, many believe it is because Petty has simply not shown enough during practice to earn the starting job.

During the season, Bent's Game Analysis charts games for some of the New York Jets' upcoming opponents, enabling a breakdown of what to watch out for on game day…

This week's Monday Night Football will see the Jets hosting the 5-6 Indianapolis Colts. Despite having endured a disappointing year so far, the Colts were just one game out of first place in the AFC South entering this weekend. The Colts have lost three of their last four games, albeit to three potential playoff teams in Green Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. The teams met early last year with the Jets defeating the Colts 20-7, again on Monday Night Football, in one of the best performances of the Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan era.

TheJetsBlog Podcast: Are the Jets Better Off Today?

Dec 4 | 11:54AM

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Brian Bassett welcomes Brian Costello of the New York Post to the podcast, and they take a deep dive into the question of whether or not the Jets are better off today than the day when Woody Johnson flipped the switch from the John Idzik/Rex Ryan regime, to the current Mike Maccagnan/Todd Bowles duo. Later, SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano joins the show to talk about his Thursday conversation with Darrelle Revis at Florham Park, and to share his thoughts on Revis' future with the Jets.

Jets future up in the air for Revis, who wants to play in 2017

Darrelle Revis has made it pretty clear that he intends to play in 2017, telling SNY "I still have a lot of football to play." He even thinks he can still play football at a high level.

But at what position? And for whom? Neither of those answers are clear just yet. And though it's certainly possible that the Jets will simply part ways with the greatest cornerback they've ever had, a team source insisted not to rule Revis out of the Jets' 2017 plans just yet.

TJB Roundtable: Looking on the bright side

Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the Faustian bargain made by Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets on the eve of training camp signaled the end. Since then the trajectory of this team has been steadily downward: horrifying play at QB, the season-ending injury to Eric Decker, the immolation of Darrelle Revis as "player who gives a damn" … it has been rough. Hell, even Muhammad Wilkerson's reputation looks to be streaking down the Alpine Slide at Action Park!

But since we're Jets fans, we are notorious gluttons for punishment. So rather than dwell on all the bad stuff … what causes for hope do you have from what you've seen this season, Bent?

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Gailey tries to evaluate Petty, Hackenberg despite lack of game time

Dec 2 | 8:06AM

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New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty throws the ball during warmups before a game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. (Scott Galvin/USA Today Sports Images)

New York Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said young quarterbacks Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg need to get all the reps they can get to continue to develop.

Though the Jets have decided to turn back to Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback for the foreseeable future, Gailey said Petty "needs all of the work he can get," according to NJ.com's Connor Hughes.

"It helps to play in games. ... The probability in games, you've got a lot better idea of what's going to happen," Gailey said. "In practice, you only have about a 75 percent probability of how they're going to be, how they're to play, and how they're going to progress."

Petty has started just one game -- a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10 -- this season before head coach Todd Bowles opted to make Fitzpatrick, who led New York to 10 wins last season, the starter again.

Revis weighs in on retirement, possible move to safety, and more

Ralph Vacchiano reports from the Jets facility on the Darrelle Revis rumors of him possibly retiring after the 2016 season.

Darrelle Revis, the embattled Jets cornerback, insists that he has given no thought to retirement despite his age and his struggles this season, and that his love for the game of football is as strong as ever. In fact, in an interview with SNY.tv on Thursday, he said any questions about how much he still wants to play are "really bizarre."

That was the 31-year-old Revis' response to the latest round of criticism in what has become a miserable season for the future Hall of Famer. He has struggled on the field in a season he admits is "definitely not" up to his personal standards, and the shots he's taken in the media have been relentless at times.

The latest came in a report in the New York Daily News on Wednesday that quoted a "confidant" of the cornerback saying "If he had his way he'd be done right now. He doesn't want to play anymore."